SOLUTION: Factor if possible 5x^2-20x-xy+4y thanks

Question 725381: Factor if possible
5x^2-20x-xy+4y
thanks
Answer by jsmallt9(3758) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The greatest common factor (GCF) us 1 (which we rarely bother factoring out). There are too many terms for factoring patterns or for trinomial factoring. So we'll try factoring by grouping.

Since factoring by grouping requires grouping (obviously) and sometime reordering the terms, I like to rewrite the expression as additions so that I can do both freely:

Now we group the expression into two halves:

Then we factor out the GCF of each group. Two important notes:

This point in factoring by grouping is one of those rare times when we actually do factor out a GCF of 1!
If the first terms of the two groups have opposite signs, then factor out the negative of the GCF from one of the groups.

The GCF of the first group is 5x. The GCF of the second group is y. But since the first term of the two groups have different signs, we will factor out -y from the second group:

If we're lucky, the two "non-GCF" factors of the two groups will match. With (x+(-4)) in both groups we got lucky. (If we didn't get lucky then we would have to start over, try a different order and different grouping and repeat this until we get lucky or we figure out that factoring by grouping will just not work.) Factoring out the common factor of (x+(-4)) we get:

which should be an acceptable answer. Or you could change back to subtractions:

RELATED QUESTIONS
5x^2-20x-xy+4y Factor if possible thanks for answering. (answered by erika514)

Factor:... (answered by jim_thompson5910)

Factor by grouping if possible: 2x^2-8x+xy-4y Factor completely: x^2-x-20... (answered by persian52)

How do you factor {{{4x^2 + 20x + 5y... (answered by jim_thompson5910,scott8148,Edwin McCravy)

how do I factor... (answered by mananth)

factor completely.... (answered by stanbon)

Factor completely. 5x^2 + xy + 5x +... (answered by chitra)

Factor, if possible. 3x^2-5x+2 ^ meaning its an exponent thanks for answering (answered by lenny460)

Factor 5x^2y^6z^4 - 15x^4y^5z^3 + 20x^3y^5z^2 12xy + 20yz - 40wy 16x^2 - 49 (answered by checkley77)